Alex Kapranos Quotes

Back in the '90s, if you did mail order in music, you could make a good living doing it if you could hustle.

We are a business, and you do a little of what you think's right, pay your bills, and attract... a single record attracts attention to your concerts and your albums.

A lot of labels are hiring a lot more accountants than people that know music.

I had business experience. I had made my living designing and building electronic equipment. Basic business was not new to me, but the music business was completely new to me. I knew nothing about distribution, or any of those things.

I'm just focusing on 'Let's Stay Together' and slowly building my production company. I'm trying to get into writing as well.

I've always treated the music business as a business.

I've learned to sell my music, I've learned to direct, I've written screenplays... All of this fulfilled my artistic needs but also put food on the table.

I own a mortgage company and a real estate company funded by the music. Florida is a kinda gold mine.

Being my own boss and working inside an industry that's not really an industry, I need to keep busy and keep working. The only way to make money in music - unless you're managing someone - is to tour, and even that depends on where you are at.

When I first started out in the music industry and went to Elektra Records, I didn't go to be an artist, I went to get a record label started. And they said in order to have a label deal, I had to be an artist - so that's what I did.

In my mid 30's, after a decade or so of giving full time to the music thing and finding myself with about $10 in the bank and no assets other than my musical equipment, I realized I needed to get serious about making a living.

The only way to get ahead in the music business these days is to call up all your friends. To pool your resources.

I'm just an artist that makes good music and has a good idea to make money off of that.

If I get an iTunes check, I take the money out and say, 'OK, with this money I'mma go shoot me this many videos, with this money I'm going to do this amount of studio sessions.'

If you make money back from your record, you're doing it smart. It's an expensive hobby. I'm lucky enough to still make a living as a musician through live work and odd bits of royalties.

I care about music and money. I'm an artist first.

I didn't realize how polarized an industry like music can be.

I finished school in 1981 when there was a recession on so there was not a lot of money around or work. I worked on building sites during that time and there were many people on the dole or always looking for work.

I definitely like making my friends in the music industry.

The music business, a lot of times, has a big finesse mentality to it.

The plan is to make money, and we know the fans are going to ask for mixtapes, and those mixtapes are going to hit. So when we put a tape out, we have more money coming in, that's why we work hard at it.

Before I got my big hit, I was selling beats for $500.

People thought we were crazy for starting a record company. They really thought I was shooting myself in the foot.

In my opinion, you just have to make the music. Make the music and work as hard as you can to get it out there.

There are good people in radio and the record companies, but there are others who are completely in the wrong job and holding music up in the process.